Have An Idea You Want to Present in Buffalo? Submit to Open Innovation

Another Opportunity to Participate in Buffalo. Deadline is March 5.

#CNUOpen

CNU wants wants to give interested Congress attendees more chances to actively participate and engage at CNU 22 in Buffalo, so we've developed CNU Open. Along side the annual "call for ideas" which closed last Fall, CNU Open offers more opportunities for the crowd to determine content, speakers, and dialogue at the Congress. CNU Open intends to augment and expand the printed Program with a more organic, dynamic process.

Open Innovation

For over 20 years, the New Urbanism has been a thought leader in sustainable planning, urban design and architecture, and we plan to stay there. Open Innovation showcases cutting edge work of members and attendees covering a variety of topics from brand new theories of urbanism still in the formation stage to completed projects available for critique.

We have reserved an entire track at this year's Congress for new ideas and new faces to keep you on the cutting edge of urbanist innovation. Submissions for Open Innovation are open until March 5. Submit an idea here: cnu22open

With a little bit of structure, you get a great deal of freedom to set the topic (as long as it's about urbanism, of course). Individual presentations are limited to six (6) minutes, with the intent to move through a lot of ideas in a concentrated session with great energy. All collected and accepted submissions are organized so that the topics are related, albeit often loosely, with an average of seven (7) speakers per session.

Open Source

For almost 10 years, Open Source has been a feature of CNU Congresses.

The Format is Simple: Open Source provides a time and space at the Congress to discuss new ideas, find solutions to thorny problems, and work on a CNU initiative. You choose the topic. Post that topic for an open time in the Open Source room. Attend. No powerpoints. No microphones.

As Open Source is all about open participation, anyone interested can participate with minimal requirement. Any topic is eligible and the rules are simple: whoever shows up is meant to be there, wherever the discussion goes is where it is meant to go, and if you are not engaged, use your two feet to take you somewhere else. So if you have an topic for discussion, bring it to Buffalo!

Open Dialogue

Open Dialogue is a catchall to include all of those other opportunities to expand the discussion and to be inclusive of devotees and newcomers, as well as critics and those with alternative perspectives.

At the simplest level, Open Dialogue reinforces the phenomenon that some of the most meaningful and purposeful discussions at a Congress will be those that take place in the corridors, outside of the formal program, and between sessions (or over a lunch or drink).

Open Dialogue is essentially the implicit understanding that there is an open dialogue between attendees throughout the Congress. There are a couple of primary events that exemplify the applicability of Open Dialogue, such as the CNU “first timers” orientation breakfast, many local chapter events and meetups as well as CNU Initiatives lunches.

So check the CNU 22 Program for all the opportunities now and at the Congress to engage. And we'll see you in Buffalo!